In the first two weeks of October, our faculty held four events for staff, students and the general public, which were part of the nationwide awareness campaign Mental Health Weeks.
On Tuesday, October 3, 2023, we launched the Mental Health Weeks at the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové with a lecture by Assoc. Prof. David Skorunka from the Department of Preventive Medicine on the topic "What's wrong with you, Doctor? The pitfalls of the medical profession and how to face them". It took place in the evening in the large hall of the Bio Central cinema. In his lecture, the associate professor discussed, among other things, the demands of the medical profession and their specifics, the factors that influence their form and management, the risks of long-term stress, burnout syndrome and how to recognize it in yourself and how to prevent it.
After the lecture, the associate professor answered questions from the audience of medical students and graduates and they discussed with each other, for example, on the topic of personal development of doctors or coping with difficult situations in relation to patients. Thank you to all the participants who took the time to come to the lecture!
On Thursday, October 5, 2023, we welcomed Dr. Tereza Kertész, a graduate of our faculty and also a certified yoga instructor and owner of a yoga studio in Hradec Králové, to the Column Hall of the Na Hradě Gallery. The doctor drew the workshop participants into the exciting world of yoga, which does not require chic leggings and is not aimed at a nice photo on Instagram. First, the visitors tried breathing exercises to calm and relax, then the doctor told a coda about Mother Teresa and the burning candle not only in us, and finally the participants tried about ten minutes of meditation and then examined their mood before and after what had changed.
"Every body has its own story that we learn to listen to in class, regardless of the level of advancement... Every yoga class represents a new beginning and a new story," says Dr. Kertész.
On Tuesday, October 10, a workshop was held for students of our faculty in the art therapy workshop in the building of the Department of Psychiatry, led by Martina Jiroutová. She introduced the students to the technique of imagination, used in art therapy, i.e. imagining images before the inner vision, whose motives are based on experience. The students first drew a rose blossom using any technique and then, together with Ms. Jiroutová, they worked on the narrative and interpretation of their creations.
On Thursday, 12 October, the Column Hall of the Na Hradě Gallery was filled with loud laughter. The workshop of laughter yoga was led by Mr. Petr Vrběcký. The participants first tried conscious breathing and relaxing the body at the beginning and then practiced different types of laughter. During the workshop, they tried laughing in different yoga positions, laughing while meeting each other or animal laughter. At the end there was relaxation with music and reflection.
As part of Mental Health Weeks and on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, an expert debate on Student Mental Health took place on Monday 10 October in the Bio Central cinema. The debate was organized by our faculty in cooperation with the University Hospital Hradec Králové, the Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové of CU and the University of Hradec Králové. Invitation to the discussion was accepted by psychotherapist Dr. Julie Hadašová, head of the Pedagogical and Psychological Counselling Centre of LF HK Dr. Lubomír Hadaš, head of the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology at the Faculty of Education of the University of Hradec Králové Assoc. Prof. Kateřina Juklová, Dr. Petr Hrubeš from the Department of Psychiatry LF HK and FN HK and Prof. Lubomír Opletal from the Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany of the Faculty of Pharmacology in Hradec Králové of CU. During the debate, the present experts presented their profession and how they encounter students and the topic of their mental health in their work. They then took many questions from the audience, which were sent in anonymously via an app. For example, the experts discussed questions that related to relationships with teachers in the school, parents and other people in their environment, as well as their relationship with themselves. They also touched on how one can take preventive care of one's mental health.
As part of the Mental Health Weeks, LF HK prepared a relaxing walk along the trail through the centre of Hradec Králové for the public. Several stops awaited participants on the trail with interesting information about places connected with the history of medicine in Hradec Králové and also with mental health care. The trail included a quiz with questions. After answering them correctly, they could participate in a competition for small prizes.
The Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové prepared an educational game on the topic of mental health for the public as part of the Mental Health Week. Boxes were placed around the building of the Faculty in Šimkova Street and the adjacent Šimkova Gardens, with cards containing questions on the topic of the soul and mental health. The aim of this activity was to find all the boxes, answer the questions correctly and solve the riddle. The activity was in both adult and young children versions.
Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové
Charles University
Šimkova 870
500 03 Hradec Králové
Czech Republic, Europe
Phone: +420 495 816 111
E-mail:
